The invention relates to compositions that can ameliorate or prevent hyperlipemia and are useful as dietary supplements (e.g., health drinks). These compositions contain yeast cells obtainable by growth in electromagnetic fields with specific frequencies and field strengths.
Hyperlipemia is a state of higher than normal blood concentration of lipid components, such as cholesterols, neutral fats, phospholipids or free fatty acids that are in the form of water-soluble lipoproteins. Hyperlipemia is caused by abnormal lipoprotein metabolism. A prolonged hyerlipemic status has been linked to diseases of the circulatory system such as arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, cerebral infarction, apoplexy, coronary diseases, cerebrovascular disorders, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Conventional therapeutic agents for the treatment of hyperlipemia include clofibrate, clinofibrate, phenofibrate, bezafibrate and the like, probucol and nicotinic acid. However, the clofibrate-type drugs are accompanied by adverse side effects such as formation of gallstone, muscular disorders, hepatic dysfunctions and gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, these drugs must be administered in a large quantity to obtain a certain clinical effect. As a result, severe side effects are frequently observed.
This invention is based on the discovery that certain yeast cells can be activated by electromagnetic fields having specific frequencies and field strengths to produce substances useful in treating hyperlipidemia (for example, regulating triglyceride and/or beta-lipoprotein levels). Compositions comprising these activated yeast cells can therefore be used as dietary supplements, in the form of health drinks or dietary pills (tablets or powder). For instance, these compositions can be used to alleviate (e.g., lower) high blood lipid concentration in a hyperlipemic human, or to prevent or postpone the onset of hyperlipemia in a high risk individual (e.g., someone predisposed to hyperlipemia because of his genetic background or life style).
This invention embraces a composition comprising a plurality of yeast cells that have been cultured in an alternating electric field having a frequency in the range of about 13900 to 14700 MHz (e.g., 14000-14500 MHz) and a field strength in the range of about 160 to 500 mV/cm (e.g., 210-250, 280-320, 320-350, 350-380, 380-420 or 420-450 mV/cm). The yeast cells are cultured for a period of time sufficient to activate said plurality of yeast cells to treat hyperlipemia in a subject. In one embodiment, the frequency and/or the field strength of the alternating electric field can be altered within the aforementioned ranges during said period of time. In other words, the yeast cells are exposed to a series of electromagnetic fields. An exemplary period of time is about 100-200 hours (e.g., 118-149 hours).
Also included in this invention is a composition comprising a plurality of yeast cells that have been cultured under acidic conditions in an alternating electric field having a frequency in the range of about 13900 to 14700 MHz (e.g., 14000-14500 MHz) and a field strength in the range of about 160 to 500 mV/cm (e.g., 380-420 or 410-430 mV/cm). In one embodiment, the yeast cells are exposed to a series of electromagnetic fields. An exemplary period of time is about 30-100 hours (e.g., 61-77 hours).
Yeast cells that can be included in this composition are available from the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center (xe2x80x9cCGMCCxe2x80x9d), a depository recognized under the Budapest Treaty (China Committee for Culture Collection of Microorganisms, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Haidian, P.O. Box 2714, Beijing, 100080, China). Useful yeast species include, but are not limited to, those commonly used in food and pharmaceutical industries, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, Saccharomyces rouxii, Saccharomyces sake, Saccharomyces uvarum, Saccharomyces sp., Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Rhodotorula aurantiaca. For instance, the yeast cells can be of the strain Saccharomyces carlsbergensis Hansen AS2.420, AS2.440, AS2.444; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen AS2.375, AS2.501, AS2.502, AS2.503, AS2.504, AS2.535, AS2.558, AS2.560, AS2.561, AS2.562, or IFFI1040. Other useful yeast strains are illustrated in Table 1.
This invention further embraces a composition comprising a plurality of yeast cells, wherein said plurality of yeast cells have been activated to treat hypertension in a subject. Included in this invention are also methods of making these compositions.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Exemplary methods and materials are described below, although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. All publications and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. Throughout this specification and claims, the word xe2x80x9ccomprise,xe2x80x9d or variations such as xe2x80x9ccomprisesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccomprisingxe2x80x9d will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. A subject includes a human and veterinary subject.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims.